Mdt crew had a flaps fail EICAS warning.

Attributes
ACN	412154
Time
Date	199808
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : brv airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Challenger CL604
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 77 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 61
ASRS Report	412154
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was acting as captain/PIC and PNF of flight. Approaching dulles, we received a flaps fail message on the EICAS. After completing the checklist, we notified dispatch and maintenance control of the problem and elected to declare an emergency while continuing for landing at dulles. We completed the descent and approach checklist, notified the flight attendant of the situation, and made an announcement to the passenger of the abnormality and that we would experience a 'normal approach and landing with fire trucks approaching the aircraft after the completion of the landing.' I then assumed the controls and we executed a visual approach to runway 19L to a normal landing. I brought the aircraft to a stop clear of the runway on taxiway K6 and had the operations vehicle and fire chief inspect the aircraft. With their clearance, I taxied to the gate and shut down uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot is an instructor in the air carrier training department, so he is current on all activities regarding the CL65 flap failures. He said that the air carrier currently has 13 aircraft. Each of them has had flap failures. This is in a little over 6 months that the aircraft has been in operations. On this particular incident, the captain said that maintenance pulled and reset the 'power sensing' circuit breakers and operations returned to normal. The flight manual does not authority/authorized this to be done by the crew in-flight. The captain further stated that the air carrier and canadair have issued very complex flight crew procedures to work around the design deficiency in the aircraft. The reporter hopes that the aircraft will be fixed rather than having to live with the problem. The captain states that the outboard flaps twist and cause an asymmetric trip off of the flap system. There is also a problem with moisture accumulation which freezes at altitude causing flap failure. The air carrier is emphasizing 0 flap landing during the training sessions the flcs are given.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT CREW HAD A FLAPS FAIL EICAS WARNING.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS CAPT/PIC AND PNF OF FLT. APCHING DULLES, WE RECEIVED A FLAPS FAIL MESSAGE ON THE EICAS. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLIST, WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL OF THE PROB AND ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER WHILE CONTINUING FOR LNDG AT DULLES. WE COMPLETED THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST, NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT OF THE SIT, AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX OF THE ABNORMALITY AND THAT WE WOULD EXPERIENCE A 'NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WITH FIRE TRUCKS APCHING THE ACFT AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE LNDG.' I THEN ASSUMED THE CTLS AND WE EXECUTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L TO A NORMAL LNDG. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP CLR OF THE RWY ON TXWY K6 AND HAD THE OPS VEHICLE AND FIRE CHIEF INSPECT THE ACFT. WITH THEIR CLRNC, I TAXIED TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT IS AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE ACR TRAINING DEPT, SO HE IS CURRENT ON ALL ACTIVITIES REGARDING THE CL65 FLAP FAILURES. HE SAID THAT THE ACR CURRENTLY HAS 13 ACFT. EACH OF THEM HAS HAD FLAP FAILURES. THIS IS IN A LITTLE OVER 6 MONTHS THAT THE ACFT HAS BEEN IN OPS. ON THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT, THE CAPT SAID THAT MAINT PULLED AND RESET THE 'PWR SENSING' CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND OPS RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE FLT MANUAL DOES NOT AUTH THIS TO BE DONE BY THE CREW INFLT. THE CAPT FURTHER STATED THAT THE ACR AND CANADAIR HAVE ISSUED VERY COMPLEX FLC PROCS TO WORK AROUND THE DESIGN DEFICIENCY IN THE ACFT. THE RPTR HOPES THAT THE ACFT WILL BE FIXED RATHER THAN HAVING TO LIVE WITH THE PROB. THE CAPT STATES THAT THE OUTBOARD FLAPS TWIST AND CAUSE AN ASYMMETRIC TRIP OFF OF THE FLAP SYS. THERE IS ALSO A PROB WITH MOISTURE ACCUMULATION WHICH FREEZES AT ALT CAUSING FLAP FAILURE. THE ACR IS EMPHASIZING 0 FLAP LNDG DURING THE TRAINING SESSIONS THE FLCS ARE GIVEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.